1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is broadly concerned with an improved, energy-efficient method for cooking and processing cereal grains and legumes into full-flavored powders, chunks and snack foods. More particularly, the invention is concerned with such a method in which the grain, bean, pea or lentil is precooked, minimally hydrated, extruded, and dried to a predetermined moisture level. Advantageously, all varieties of grains and dry edible beans, peas and lentils may be processed and the resulting cooked products have superior organoleptic properties.
2. Description of the Related Art
Beans, and legumes are cooked and powdered in order to prepare convenience foods, such as instant soups and stews and bean dips, as well as snack products, such as chips. In conventional processes for making instant bean powders, the beans are sorted and cooked by boiling in water, then dehydrated on a drum dryer and ground to a fine powder. Because such processes generate waste cooking water and require an extra dehydration step to remove the excess moisture absorbed during vat cooking, they are energy intensive, and thus more expensive.
Such vat-cooked and drum-dried instant bean powders also typically present poor flavor profiles when compared with freshly cooked bean products. In effect, the boiling water used in vat cooking extracts from the beans the volatile compounds which impart their distinctive flavor. The full bean flavor is lost when the cooking water is discarded. In addition, an overcooked taste is generally imparted because the beans are actually cooked twice, once by boiling in the vat, and again by the drum dryer. Not infrequently, the drum dryer imparts a bitter, charred flavor as well.